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I have a little problem. I'm addicted to cookbooks, food writing, recipe collecting, and cooking. I have a lot of recipes waiting for me to try them, and ideas from articles, tv, and restaurants often lead to new dishes. I started losing track of what I've done. So now I'm taking photos and writing about what I've prepared—unless it's terrible in which case I forget it ever happened.

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Monday, June 14, 2010

Last month when I started telling you about My Favorite Ingredients, I mentioned the cherry chapter in the book and how I was looking forward to the start of the season. Well, it is upon us, and I now believe there is no quantity of cherries in my refrigerator that would be too much. Pickled cherries is the first recipe in that chapter, and I’d been thinking about them for weeks. I imagined vinegary, sweet, little bites of fruit with hints of spice served alongside a soft cheese with some personality. Also, there would have to be some bread and maybe a really good beer to accompany the cherries and cheese. As soon as I found cherries in town, I set about pickling them, let them sit all of one week as I couldn’t wait another day, I baked some bread, visited my favorite local cheese shop, and the plan became a reality. I chose Leonora cheese from Spain which is a soft-ripened, aged goat cheese, and I grabbed a bottle of Saison Dupont otherwise known as my new favorite, summer beer. It all came together as a snack that makes the word snack seem inadequate.

To pickle the cherries, they were washed and left with pits and stems intact. Sugar was dissolved in red wine vinegar and bay leaves, cloves, and peppercorns were added. The mixture was brought to a boil, simmered for ten minutes, and allowed to cool. The cooled syrup was poured over the cherries, and I stored them in the refrigerator. The longer they sit, and they can remain refrigerated for up to one year, the more wrinkly the cherries will become. Since I couldn’t wait longer than a week, mine were still mostly plump.

In the book, pickled cherries are used in a warm pheasant salad with tardivo and toasted hazelnuts. That sounds like a wonderful fall dish, but I don’t think I’ll have any cherries left by then. Maybe I can come up with something more summery for a salad with notes of bitterness for balance. Something with arugula could work or possibly grilled romaine. While I think about that, I’m ready to make the cherry cordial and the brandied cherries from the book, and then I might have to pickle some more before the season ends.

Hey, you beat me to it! Aren't these pickled cherries the best? I've been busy these past few days trying to come up with different ways to use them. So far nothing beats pickled cherries and assorted cheeses, though. They go so, so well together.

Cool!!! It just so happens I received a bunch of cherries from a friend. I've sort of been snacking on them on and off. I've never tried pickled cherries before and I keep saying to myself that I have to try and start pickling stuff. :)

our local supermarkets are starting to have cheap imported US cherries as well. I think I'm going to try your recipe because I have a lot of red wine vinegar left. Can't wait to see all the various ways you use the pickled cherries ^_^

They sound wonderful! I still haven't quite got the hang of proper canning so refrigerator pickling these cherries would be just right for me. As usual, you are my number one source for learning about recipe resources. I'll have to check out My Favorite Ingredients!

Great post. We make pickled cherries at the restaurant where I work and it's great to see people doing them at home also. Your photographs are beautiful. I will definitely keep checking out your blog, it's really good!

MY relatives came to this country on a prison ship after being kicked out of England for rustling horses, and we will pickle anything. Watermelon rinds is a personal favorite of mine. But now I will have to try cherries. Thanks for the write up!

I bet these are divine. They remind of a little of these grilled cherries I once had with a duck dish at a restaurant. They were tossed in sherry vinegar before being grilled. They were so amazing. I could have eaten an entire bowl of them.